Houston's Beren Academy sacrifices game, not the Sabbath

Following its best season ever, the Beren Academy boys basketball team is giving up a chance at a state championship this weekend to remain true to its faith.

The Stars (23-5) were slated to play in the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools 2A state tournament this weekend, but because the game times conflict with the observation of the Jewish Sabbath, they will have to forfeit.

Beren, an Orthodox Jewish day school in Houston with 67 students, appealed to TAPPS to reschedule the state semifinal against Dallas Covenant from 9 p.m. Friday to an earlier time, but the appeal was denied Monday morning. Dallas Covenant will now face Kerrville Our Lady of the Hills, which Beren beat 69-42 in the regional round last week.

"It's disappointing. I've been here 10 years and I've always known where our priorities lie," said Chris Cole, Beren's basketball coach and athletic director. "We were hopeful and optimistic going in that we could be able to do both - adhere to the religious beliefs here and play basketball."

Cole said the team had hoped a schedule change was possible, since he knew that at least one team negotiated a change in the past.

Similar case

Arlington Burton Adventist Academy reached the fall soccer semifinals last school year, but would have run into a conflict if it made the final. Like Beren's students, Seventh-day Adventists observe the Sabbath from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, and the school's basketball teams have had to forfeit games in the past.

But with the help of the other semifinalists - two being Burton's district opponents - TAPPS secured a second location at a later time Saturday.

Burton, which lost in the semifinals, had to pay the cost for reserving both venues.

"I was just happy for the opportunity to play for a state championship," said Burton athletic director Kevin Klein, adding that Burton and Beren have discussed helping each other with scheduling and possible appeals. "There's a way that we can do this. I feel sorry for Beren, but I'm glad somebody else is going through this and carrying the mantle a little bit."

Association's position

TAPPS athletic director Edd Burleson couldn't be reached by phone Monday because of a family emergency, but he said in an email to Cole that Beren was informed before it was accepted into TAPPS that state tournaments were scheduled on Fridays and Saturdays.

"You agreed at the time that this could be a problem for your school, however, the school leadership wished to pursue membership in TAPPS," Burleson wrote in the email. "With this understanding, the Board approved Beren Academy for membership."

Burleson also wrote the school was reminded earlier in the year that it could have been disqualified from postseason play altogether, according to the TAPPS Manual: Athletic and Fine Arts Rules. At district certification, in which the district president certifies all playoff teams, any school that can't follow the postseason schedule "shall remove itself from the playoffs without penalty so that the next highest-ranked team may represent the district in the playoffs."

Two games moved

Beren was able to reschedule two of its playoff games. The Stars played Austin Hill Country on Feb. 18, a Saturday, moving the start time to 8 p.m. In the third round, Beren moved its game Friday from 7:30 p.m. to noon.

Times for semifinals are approved in advance by the host (Mansfield Independent School District), Burleson said in the email. The 2A championship game is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday.

Neither TAPPS nor UIL teams are allowed to play any sports on Sundays, when Christians traditionally worship.

"We were hopeful that they would be able to work with us, but we respect their decision," Cole said. "It's never happened where we've played during Shabbat, and it will never happen. The kids know that, and the kids are fantastic at understanding."